Voice of the people (letter).

Loaded Time Frame

August 09, 1996|By John Heinz.

AURORA — Robert Samuelson's July 26 commentary headlined "Capitalism on its best behavior" (Op-Ed) celebrates our U.S. economy as a "powerful job machine."

But he has selected a loaded time frame for a demonstration of our job machine: 1979 to 1995. During this time he boasts that the U.S. economy grew at 2.4 percent compared to the European Union's 2.1 percent. That seems a slim lead and hardly a "huge job gap"--especially because this span covers the collapse of East Germany and the influx of refuges from the former Yugoslavia and other Eastern Bloc nations.

His celebration is premature because Germany is rapidly integrating her problematic eastern states and will soon be a formidable challenge in the economic sphere, not only in economic competition but as an example to American workers of their just expectations.

Sadly, Mr. Samuelson is really celebrating our deteriorating wages. But our piper will have to be paid, for their cost will surely be decreased consumer spending and a decreased tax base.

So, will Mr. Samuelson be first in line for what he calls "flexible wages" for his ambitious writings? He takes aim at high wages and good social services as if they were problems. But if this country is committed to still lower wages, he will certainly need Scandinavian-quality social services.